Now that I figured out my ECT Sensor problem my next project is to replace my radiator. In the process I want to try and clean my engine. It is jsut nasty. Do you guys have any suggestions on a inexspensive way to get all the crap of my engine and make is shine?

 

you can head up to the nearest auto parts store and look for "gunk". it works great. it loosens up all that oil and ****. just make sure you dont spray it near the air filter, the drive belt (made mine squeak), the alternator, distributor etc. only downside is, the car will smell like gunk for at least 3 days. i couldnt use the air in the car for a long time. and if you really want to put the frosting on the cake, you can buy metal polish and make your valve cover and stuff look new.

 

ok, this is a very touchy subject to me, and when i do this in the next couple days, ultimate care is going to be taken in cleaning the engine bay out. here are two threads that are listed in the club, i've read them, and seem to be good methods of cleaning:
http://www.protegeclub.com/forum/sho...t=engine+clean
http://www.protegeclub.com/forum/sho...t=engine+clean

it's recommended to cover every electrical portion of your car, including pulling out your plug wires, filling the holes with rags, taping over the holes with some heavy duty tape (duct tape ) to prevent any cleaner getting into your plug holes, covering your fuse boxes, ignition coil/distributor cap, alternator, intake, etc..etc.. then spraying the whole engine with castrol super clean, engine degreaser, simple green, or anyother 'degreasing' sort of formula, letting it sit and then wiping or hosing everything off.
now, instead of hosing, i think your best solution is to just use some paper towels and some heavy duty cleaner and forget about hosing off your engine. shop rags are the best thing to use as they are dispossable. be careful with painted surfaces, etc..etc... also, make sure the engine is cold... ie hasn't been running in 4 hours is a good measure of safety. take your time and make a project out of it, the results will be amazing. i was looking real hard, but i can't seem to find the pics, but wil did an excellent cleaning on his festiva with before and after pics. well good luck and have fun.
peace

 

i just use simplegreen. its a degreaser.

 

forget about hoseing of your engine.............just use shop rags.....
that would be ok if you where to whipe of every little space ther is.
degraeser will eat paint, and built up corrosian if it is left on. if your going to take the time to cover every thing up, use the hose. or use a spray bottle with water in it, to rinse it of.

not trying to bash your idea (im sure you know what your doing), just giving some heads up to other people.

 

haha, NOTHING would make me want to take a garden hose or a pressure washer to my engine bay, i'm already burning oil as is, so i've got plenty of other problems to worry bout till i ever consider pressure washing, simple green is safe for paint, that and shop rags are on my shopping list
peace

 

I just recently brought mine in to a detailer, had it done for $25 and 1 hour's time.

 

try and look for a local (1) One dollar store and try see if they have a Generic Simple Green Auto Degreeser...
I picked up like 5 bottles from this one place in White Plains Mall, where the DMV is located(I used to work there) and the stuff works just as great as Simple Green and for a Fraction of the cost..
Bruce

 

so what about the result????
any picture???

 

Thanks for the tips gusy. I think I am going to go the Simple Green/ Shop Rag route. I will try and have at it this weekend being a long weekend or the following week. It all dpends on when I can get my hands on a radiator. I wan't to do it all in one shot. I will post pic's once its done.

 

The Gunk will work a lot better on the engine itself, To lossen the grime and grit from the motor ***.

 

O.k., I was wondering for a while about this and I finally did it a couple months ago.
I used Simple Green, good ****.
I made sure the engine was cold and sprayed the **** on. I didn't cover anything. I rinsed it with a garden hose. I pulled the car into the drive way. It ran fine.

Then, this is the ghetto part, I got the shop vac out and vacuumed the puddles of water and **** out. Seriously it was a ghetto thing to do but it worked.
To get the water out of the plug holes I used the attatchment that is flat, I put a small piece of vinyl hose into the end of it and then put the other end into the plug hole and vacuumed the water out.
I also unhooked every electrical connector I could find and did the same.

 

While I am cleaning the engine I think I might just paint it to. Any one suggest a good pain to go with. I am going to have nearly the whol thing apart this weekend. This is going to be a big Protege project weekend.

 

I just ran down to Schucks and grabbed a bottle of Engine Brite... it worked EXTREMELY well and has a citrus scent so your whole car smells like oranges. Whatever you do make sure you read the back and cover all the parts they tell you to... gotta do those by hand. Got my car from my sister and she ran it to $hit and there was like 1/4 inch of some crazy unknown substance (god only knows with this girl)... anyway... i just sprayed Engine Brite on ,with parts covered, and used the entire bottle after my car sat out all night (ENGINE MUST BE COOL IF YOU WANT TO SPRAY IT WITH WATER). Just sprayed the hell outta it avoiding the battery and EVERYTHING came off.... I was really happy with the product... give it a shot... it's the hand cleaning that sucks...

 

I used to run a carwash and simplegreen is the best for getting rid of gunk.